"If there is one place in the country where people understand the important role unions play in our communities and in our country, it's Cape Breton," Lana Payne, a Unifor spokeswoman, said in a statement. "This is a victory for these 12 workers, but more than that, it is a victory for the entire labour movement. We've shown that fighting back really makes a difference."

The Sydney Ports Corp. had planned on replacing the stevedores, who have serviced the ports for more than 50 years, but unanimously decided against it on Friday.

“We didn’t want to have the union cause any irreparable damage to the image of the island or to the cruise ship industry,” Adrian White told the Chronicle-Herald newspaper.